


Face to Face, or CAT-RA and the PRINCESSES of POWER

by QwahaXahn



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Adora Remains with the Horde (She-Ra), Alternate Universe - Catra is She-Ra, Cat-Ra AU, Catra (She-Ra) Leaves the Horde, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Catra (She-Ra) Redemption, Catra (She-Ra)-centric, F/F, Horde Adora (She-Ra), POV Catra (She-Ra), What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QwahaXahn/pseuds/QwahaXahn
Summary: What if Catra got to the Sword of Protection first? A couple of tiny tweaks to history might have had us in the middle of a totally different tale.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. The Sword, Part 1

CAT-RA and the PRINCESSES of POWER

Episode 1: The Sword, Part I

_ A small green-and-blue rock, suspended in the endless void. Twelve moons of many shapes, sizes, and colors orbit gently around the central planet, and soft, thin white clouds shelter the world below from the vast, purple nothing. On that planet, a life is about to change. _

“All squadrons to the training area. Evaluation begins in five minutes.”

Catra’s ears shrunk against her head as the intercom blared through the barracks. She wrinkled her nose and shrank back into the alcove as a trio of armored trainees jogged past, their boots clanging against the metallic floor. She leaned forward and peeked out. Her yellow eye—the left one—spotted the evacuation hatch at the end of the hallway. She watched as the door guard joined his fellow soldiers, en route to their assessment.

“There you go...” she murmured. “Give me just one second.”

Yes! The guard disappeared from sight. Catra snickered as she padded up to the doorway and pressed a clawed finger to the keypad.

“Catra!”

The girl froze, and then slowly peeked over her shoulder. At the end of the hallway stood a tall, lean girl in a sharp Horde uniform. Her blonde hair was pulled tight into a regulation ponytail.

“Heyyy, Adora...”

“You’re going to be late,” Adora warned, striding toward her.

“Oh, c’mon,” Catra whined as her friend grabbed her by the collar and began dragging her back into the building. “This is the only time this door is open all day!”

“Yes,” Adora replied. “Because you kept sneaking out at all times.”

Catra groaned, folding her arms and twisting around to free herself from her best friend’s grip. She cocked her head and looked the taller girl up-and-down.

“You look fancy. Is that a new uniform?”

Adora rolled her eyes. “No. Maybe.”

Catra laughed and tugged at the blonde’s collar.

“Look,  _ some _ of us want to make a good impression!” Adora sulked. “You should be more diligent, Catra. Senior cadets are supposed to be examples for the others.”

“Ehh, you’re example enough for the both of us,” the shorter girl waved her hand dismissively. “I’m just picking up the slack in the having-fun department.”

Adora scoffed. “I can have fun. I can’t believe you would—A MOUSE!”

Catra bolted upright, fur on end and tail ramrod-straight. “What?! Where?!?”

Next to her, the blonde girl collapsed into a fit of giggles. Catra’s mismatched eyes narrowed and she folded her arms tighter around herself.

“Not. Funny.”

“So funny,” Adora mumbled between chuckles. “Every time.”

“Adora.”

Both girls immediately stopped laughing and stood at attention. At the end of the hallway, inky blackness pooled around a slender, masked figure. Deep red robes draped over the woman’s body, and two sharp white eyes shone from behind a matching mask. Thick locks of ebony hair drifted gently around her shoulders.

Adora saluted briskly. “Shadow Weaver.”

Catra rolled her eyes, but her tail curled between her legs, and she had to grip her hands behind her back to keep them from trembling. The willowy sorceress glided towards them, and Catra fought the urge to shrink away.

“Adora. I didn’t see you at evaluation, so I came to find you.”

“Yes,” Adora replied. “I just had to—”

“You are remarkably undisciplined,” Shadow Weaver hissed, looming over the blonde, “for one who seeks to advance in the ranks of the Horde.”

Catra growled, fur bristling at the smooth, low voice. “Leave her alone!” The masked face snapped to her, and Catra’s ears flattened against her head as she wilted. “She came to get me.”

“Catra—” Adora whispered.

“You,” the sorceress interrupted. She drew herself up to her full height, her hair swirling around her with dark energy. “Watch your tone, girl. The only reason you’re even  _ here _ is because of Adora. The second you interfere with her success...” Shadow Weaver trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air with menace. Catra turned her head away and closed her eyes. “Now, come, Adora. You have an evaluation to do.”

“I—” the taller girl began. Then, her shoulders slumped. “Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

Catra felt her friend try to take her hand, but she pulled away and stepped back.

“Go. Do your  _ test _ .”

After a moment, she heard Adora begin walking away. Her friend’s footfalls faded, and the room warmed up again as Shadow Weaver’s chilling presence retreated with her.

When Catra finally opened her eyes, she was alone.

\---

The Fright Zone at night had a warm glow that seemed to offset the harshness within. Catra stepped up to the building’s edge and climbed onto the railing. From her perch, she could see almost to the edge of Horde territory. Beyond the forge-lights, she knew, lay the wilderness of Etheria. Those untamed lands were ruled by the planet’s deadly, conquering warlords: the princesses.

She hugged her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes tight. “Don’t do it don’t do it don’t do it don’t...”

Too late.

“Catra?”

The feline girl tensed and wiped quickly at her face.

“Catra? Are you... are you crying?”

“No.” Catra gritted her teeth against the quaver in her voice. “What do you want?”

Adora stepped up next to her and leaned against the metal railing. Catra’s tail flicked out behind her to adjust her balance as her muscular friend caused the metal rods to tremble. Side-by-side, the pair looked out over the industrial landscape below.

“How are you?” the blonde asked.

Catra snickered. “That’s what you’re going with?”

“What do you mean?” Adora turned to look at her friend.

“‘How are ya doin’, Catra?’” the dark-haired girl mocked. “‘Hope things are A-OK after Shadow Weaver  _ threatened you _ .’”

“She didn’t mean—” Adora began.

“To imply that I’m worthless? And that she would happily throw me out if she didn’t want to risk upsetting you?” Catra spat. “News flash, Adora. She  _ hates _ me! My whole life, she’s never done anything but treat me like filth.” Catra paused, staring at the shiny gold pin on her friend’s lapel. “...you got promoted.”

“Force Captain.” Adora grinned sheepishly.

Catra sighed and couldn’t help but smile back. “Congrats. That’s... actually pretty great.”

Adora smiled proudly, lifting her chin. “Youngest in Horde history.”

“Figures,” Catra nodded. “I get chewed out by Shadow Weaver, and you get some new jewelry.”

“You were skipping training, Catra,” Adora said. “Of course she would come after you.”

“She was looking for  _ you _ ,” Catra replied. “I was an unlucky bonus. Just like always.”

“What would you prefer?” Adora asked. “Running away to the Whispering Woods?”

A gear clicked into place in the feline girl’s head.  _ You know what...? _ With a deft flick of her clawed finger, Catra stole the Force Captain’s pin off of Adora’s uniform. She hopped off the railing and strode for the open hatch.

“Where are you going?!” Adora called.

Catra spun around and opened her arms out wide. “I’m following your advice!”

\---

The skiff flew over the nighttime landscape, humming under Catra’s fingertips. She turned her face into the oncoming wind, feeling the wind in her hair, and smiled wide. Out here, at least, nobody could lock her in her room, or shout in her face, or pull her tail. Freedom tasted so good.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Adora muttered from the control platform behind her. “We’re going to get in so much trouble.”

“Relax, Adora!” Catra turned around and leaned against the bow of the vehicle. “You just got a new job. We can afford to celebrate.”

Adora’s lips tightened, but she did smile. Her new pin sparkled on her uniform. The two friends sped further and further away from the Fright Zone, towards the open wilds. Up ahead, a line of ancient, gnarled trees approached. Catra stared at them, her ears perked up to catch the many sights and sounds of the forest.

“I don’t like it out here,” Adora said. “Feels... strange. Catra. I think we should go back.”

“Don’t you dare wuss out on me now,” Catra declared. “We came all this way, and I wanna see what’s out there.”

Adora began pulling back on the rudder. “Sorry. I’m turning us around.”

Catra darted forward and grabbed the other side of the rudder. “No!”

“Catra, let go!”

“You let go!”

As the duo fought over the controls, the skiff began wheeling and spinning. They plunged headlong into the thick tree cover, and the metal device spun erratically, barely dodging past thick trunks and thorny green bushes. Adora reached out one hand to push Catra off of the rudder, and in that moment the skiff swung up into the air and almost overturned. Catra lost her grip and cried out.

“Catra!” Adora grasped for her friend’s hand, but the dark-haired girl had already tumbled too far.

With a terrified yowl, Catra disappeared into the heavy tree cover below.

Smack!

Thwip!

Bonk.

Bonk. Crack!

“Oof!”

Thud.

“Urrghhhh...” two mismatched eyes—one blue, one yellow—blinked open.

Catra could barely make out the blurry green canopy above. The Whispering Woods were even darker beneath the shade of the trees than they had been from above. She tried to push herself up and yelped. The attempt at movement had produced a sharp pain in her side.

“That’s not great,” she muttered. “Come on, Catra. Let’s go.”

With a long, drawn-out hiss, Catra sat up and slowly clambered to her feet. The dull ache in her side flared with each movement. She looked around and took in her environment. Apparently, she’d landed in some sort of bush, and this clearing she stood in was surrounded on all sides by dense forest. As she turned gingerly on the spot, she caught something on the very edge of her hearing. Almost a... faint whisper. Too high-pitched for human ears. She flicked her head and ears around to identify the source.

_ Adora... _

“There,” Catra muttered.

She slowly and carefully padded in the direction of the sound, pushing into the thick woods.

_ Adora... _

Catra’s eyes narrowed. Whatever was making this sound wanted Adora. “Sorry, jerk,” she whispered. “You’re gonna have to deal with me... first...”

She trailed off, struck dumb by what she saw as she pushed out of the trees and into another open clearing. There, in the center of the open grass, a gorgeous sword stuck out of the dirt. The blade was covered in deep blue vines, and a blue gemstone shone in the middle of its golden hilt. The whole sword seemed to glow with a light that hurt her feline eyes.

Catra crept towards the sword, studying it. “What the...”

She reached out with one clawed hand and took hold of the hilt.

Nothing happened.

Catra tugged at the blade, trying to pull it free. The sword would not budge.

_ You are not Adora. _

Catra let go of the sword with a yelp as the ethereal voice spoke in her mind. Then, she quickly composed herself. Whatever this device was, it knew her friend’s name. No way that was a good thing.

“Uh... yeah, I am?” she said.

_ Initializing backup scan... complete. You are not Adora. Where is Adora? _

“She...” Catra wracked her brains. “You’re right. She’s actually gone.”

_ Adora is gone? _

“Yeah, you didn’t know?” Catra chuckled. “Wow, are you behind the times or what? She totally left the... world. Last week.” She punched herself mentally. Left the world??

_ My long-range sensors are severely damaged. Adora is no longer on Etheria? _

“Yep.” Catra prayed that this machine was as dumb as it sounded. If she could convince it that Adora had left the planet, maybe it wouldn’t go hunting for her.

_ Impossible. The Sword of Protection requires a wielder to balance Etheria. _

“Sorry, lady,” Catra shrugged. “Guess you’re out of luck.”

_ Rewriting primary protocols. New wielder selected. _

“What?”

The sword glowed brighter as it rose from the ground, breaking free of the vines and dirt.

_ You will do. _

“Sorry, your glowiness, but I’m really not the protection-y, wielder-y type,” Catra stammered.

Too late. The weapon flew towards her, handle-first, and Catra threw up a hand to catch it. As her fingers closed around the hilt, the sword came to a stop in her grip.

_ Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull? _

“For the honor of what now?”

“Hey!” Catra spun on the spot to see a young girl in a purple dress staring at her from across the clearing. Her hair sparkled with light as a glowing energy aura coalesced around her clenched fists. “Hand over the sword.”

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

The girl stalked towards her, hands raised. Catra took a step back and held up the sword in front of her, struggling with its weight. A princess. A real, actual princess with deadly magic. In that moment, Catra knew she was thoroughly dead.

_ Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull? _

“Just shut up, lady!” Catra cried. “Not the time!”

“What did you say to me?” the princess hissed.

“Wasn’t talking to you!”

A sudden weight fell on Catra’s shoulders, and she nearly buckled. Someone had jumped on her back and was trying to wrestle her to the ground.

“Glimmer! Get the sword!”

“Nice work, Bow!”

Catra groaned as she sank to her knees. She gripped the sword tighter and thrashed back and forth, but the two refused to let go. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt her breath quicken. The two resistance fighters pulled on the sword, and she yelped as her injury from the fall flared up. Let go, she thought. Let go let go let go let—

_ Will you fight... _

“FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!”

To be continued...


	2. The Sword, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a familiar encounter is flipped on its head.

CAT-RA and the PRINCESSES of POWER

Episode 2: The Sword, Part II

_ Despondos is a desolate and empty void. No matter of any kind existed here before Etheria appeared. In fact, there was a significant possibility that the planet’s mere arrival could cause a ripple effect of destruction which would have killed every creature on the surface of the world and rendered the entire project nonfunctional. Notably, this did not occur, and the Heart of Etheria remains intact and operational. _

The battered skiff entered the Fright Zone at top speed, barely avoiding collisions with antennae and towers as it approached the barracks building. The Force Captain at the vehicle’s helm tightened her grip on the rudder and swung the ship around in a wide circle. The skiff barrelled through the open bay doors and came to a shuddering halt in the hangar.

Adora leapt off of the skiff before it even had time to fully stop. She looked around to make sure nobody had seen her, and then immediately went for the door which led out into the hallway. Her mind raced at a million miles per hour. Catra had convinced her to fly out into the Whispering Woods, and then they’d fought, and then Catra... fell.

When she hadn’t been able to find her friend, Adora gritted her teeth and wheeled the vehicle around to return here, to the Fright Zone. She needed to gather supplies and teammates for a search and rescue mission. 

As she ducked into the hallway, Adora heard the tromping of a guard patrol from around the corner. Wide-eyed, she looked around for somewhere to hide, but there was nothing. On the verge of panic, she remembered that she was no longer a senior cadet. 

“Hold it right there!” came a distorted, muffled voice.

Adora turned around. “What did you say to me, soldier?”

The two armored fighters at the end of the hallway slowed their approach as they caught sight of her uniform. Adora raised her chin and eyed the two men. How dare they speak to her that way. As a Force Captain, she  _ outranked _ these guards.

“Oh, uh,” the one who had spoken first stammered.

The other one stepped forward and saluted. “Sorry for the disturbance, Force Captain. We are mandated to check clearance for all personnel who are active after curfew.”

Adora nodded; she remembered the protocol from her free hours spent studying the officer’s handbook. “I am returning from the weapons room. I had trouble with a malfunctioning piece of equipment this morning.”

“That’s funny,” said the first guard. “We just came from the weapons room, and—”

Before the guard could finish his sentence, a familiar chill rolled over the hallway. Adora turned around slowly to see a tall, thin figure behind her.

“Adora, you are up late.” Shadow Weaver observed, steepling her long, grey fingers at her waist.

“I—” Adora began to wrack her brain for an explanation.

“Good,” the sorceress continued. “I need you. Come.”

Adora stood frozen as Shadow Weaver began to glide away down the hall. Then, after a moment, she relented and trudged after her adoptive mother. She looked back over her shoulder at the hangar bay.

“I hope you’re okay, Catra,” she murmured. “I’ll find you.”

\---

Catra’s body followed the motions as if she’d done them one hundred times before. She moved her arms and legs around in some kind of psycho, spastic dance as pieces of armor began to form on her body. She didn’t know what kind of screwed-up magic torture this was, but she did say a silent prayer of thanks that Lonnie and Rogelio couldn’t see her now. She’d never live down the shame.

Catra felt the sword get thinner and lighter, more suited to her slight build. As she tossed her head back and... was her  _ hair _ getting longer?? Oh, no. No, no, no. Not a tiara, please.

The transformation finished in a blinding flash, and the two rebels that had been climbing all over here were catapulted away by the force of the magic. Catra drew herself up to her full height, noticing that everything around her looked much, much smaller. She looked down at her body and whimpered.

Somehow, her catsuit had been replaced with a gold-and-white cross between armor and a dress. Thankfully, the skirt portion was open in the front, and she could see a nice, practical pair of pants and boots beneath. Her shoulders bore two vaulting gold pauldrons and a rich red cape (a CAPE???), and around her neck, she felt a simple golden choker. Her arms were clad in shining bracers, and when she reached up a tentative hand to her forehead, she felt it. A golden tiara.

“What... did you  _ do _ to me?!” she screeched, but the sword would not answer.

She spun around on the spot to glare at the two rebels, who were now crouching at the edge of the treeline and whispering to each other. As she turned, a thick lock of white-blonde hair fell into her eyes. She reached up to brush it away, realizing with another whine of dismay that it was her own hair.

Tentatively, one of the rebels—the young, dark-skinned boy—stood up. “Hey there, Miss Cat Princess.”

Catra hissed, and the boy drew back a little.

“Okay, sorry! Sorry!” he shrugged. “Don’t know what else to call you.”

Catra folded her arms, noticing how she now loomed over the kid. Maybe this magic sword wasn’t  _ all _ bad... She looked down at it and saw with a jolt that the pink-haired princess had snuck forward and grabbed onto it.

“Hey!” Catra cried, but the girl vanished with the sword, teleporting to the boy’s side. In the shock of the moment, Catra felt herself lose her grip on the magic transformation, and in another flash of light (but thankfully no posing this time), she returned to her normal self.

Catra glared at the girl. “Give that back.”

In response, the princess took up a fighting stance, her fists glowing with energy.

“Glimmer...” the boy warned. “Let’s just go back to the castle with the sword.”

“We can’t,” Glimmer replied. “She’s seen us. We need to capture her too.”

Catra laughed. “Yeah, sure, good luck with that.”

“Glimmer—” he began.

“No, Bow! If she tells the Horde where we are, they’ll come back and massacre us all! After what they did to Elberon—”

Catra cocked her ears. “Elberon? The military stronghold?”

“The  _ civilian town _ ,” Glimmer hissed. She drew herself up and sneered at Catra. “Stars, you don’t even care, do you?”

Catra flinched, but didn’t reply. Of course they lied to us, she thought to herself. I shouldn’t be surprised.

And yet, she still felt betrayed.

\---

Adora stepped into the Black Garnet chamber with tentative awe. She had only been in this room a handful of times. Shadow Weaver guarded access jealously. In the center of the open floor towered a dazzling gemstone. Adora peered into the black depths and saw her own face reflected back at her in deep red hues. She shivered involuntarily.

Shadow Weaver glided over from the other end of the room, carrying a small holographic projector. “Adora.”

Adora tore her gaze from the crystal and found herself inches from Shadow Weaver’s mask.

“Do  _ not _ approach the Garnet,” the sorceress hissed. She drew herself up, looming over the young Force Captain. “Observe.”

The projector beeped as Shadow Weaver let go of it and floated in the air between the two women. After a moment, a detailed map of a small wooded valley blinked into existence around them.

“The rebel foothold in Thaymor has caught our attention. We intend to silence them and further our incursion into the Whispering Woods,” Shadow Weaver crooned. “ _ You _ are to lead our forces in this battle.”

Adora took in the extensive battle plans on the hologram before her. “And these orders...”

“Come directly from Lord Hordak,” Shadow Weaver finished. “The assault is to begin at first light.”

The blonde soldier rubbed at her chin, eyebrows furrowed. She couldn’t disobey a direct command like that, but... Catra was still lost out there, somewhere. Adora replayed the moment in her mind, when she pushed Catra aside and caused the dark-haired girl to lose her grip on the skiff. No Horde force had ever escaped the Whispering Woods on their own. Her best friend had fallen into hostile territory...

“And it’s all my fault.” Adora whispered.

“Adora.” Shadow Weaver’s voice interrupted her reverie.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll be ready,” Adora saluted.

“Good,” the sorceress purred. “I fought to get you this opportunity. Do not make me regret my efforts.”

Adora nodded, and turned to march from the room. As soon as she passed out of sight, her shoulders sagged and she put a hand to her forehead.

“What am I going to do?”

\---

“Come with us??”

Catra shrugged. “I don’t see much choice. I can’t find my way out on my own, and,” she shot a glance towards Glimmer, who glared back, “you all wouldn’t let me leave on my own even if I tried.”

Bow shrugged. “Makes sense to me. Come on!”

As the two rebels led the way out of the clearing and through the woods, Catra eyed the Sword of Protection in Glimmer’s arms. Besides, she thought, I need that back. Maybe she’d get a lucky opening to grab the sword and make a break for it.

“You never said your name,” Bow said brightly, sidling up to the feline girl as they walked.

Catra narrowed her eyes at him, but all she got in response was a smile. “Catra.”

“Kinda obvious,” Glimmer huffed from up ahead.

“Yeah,” Catra scoffed. “The Horde isn’t too creative with the naming.”

“The Horde?” Bow asked. “What about your parents?”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Parents?”

Glimmer looked back over her shoulder and met Catra’s gaze with an odd expression on her face. “You don’t have parents? No mom or... or dad?”

Catra looked away and flicked her tail. “No.” She glanced back at the princess’s face just in time to see her expression soften for a moment. Then, Glimmer tilted her chin up and her eyes hardened again before she turned her attention back to the trail ahead of them.

“So, which way are we going?” Catra asked. “Seems like you know this place pretty well.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bow replied. “There’s a town not far from here where we can get some food.”

Right on cue, Catra’s stomach rumbled. “Sounds good,” she admitted.

The trio continued on in relative silence. Catra pointedly ignored Bow and Glimmer’s hushed conversation about what to do with her when they got... wherever they were going. Instead, she thought about her own plan. She tried to convince herself that she was only going along with the duo so that she could steal the sword back, but more than that, she wanted to delay her return to the Fright Zone as much as possible.

Not only would she be in huge trouble with Shadow Weaver for sneaking out, but she just... didn’t feel anything for the cold metal halls of the Horde base. Out here, in the supposedly savage wilds of Etheria, she felt more comfortable than she had in a long time. She could feel the air on her skin and fur, and the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest nearly overloaded her senses. Thankfully, she had enough dignity not to start skipping through the wildflowers, but... she did allow herself a smile.

“What’re you smiling about?”

Catra immediately dropped her face back into a neutral expression. “I wasn’t smiling.”

“I saw you,” Bow said. “You don’t have to be shy.”

“I’m  _ not _ —”

“Shush!” Glimmer hissed. “We’re here.”

Catra looked past the pink-haired princess to see a small cluster of houses, huts, and homes. She padded toward the edge of the treeline, examining the sleepy town. Thaymor.

“Wait,” Glimmer caught her arm. “You can’t go out there dressed like that.”

Catra pulled herself free. “Like  _ what _ ?”

“Like a Horde soldier,” Bow said. “The people would panic on the spot.”

Catra frowned, but she didn’t argue.

“What if we stole her a coat?” Bow asked.

“Don’t,” Catra said. “I’ll wait here. Just bring back some rations.”

Bow and Glimmer shared a look.

“We can’t trust that you won’t try to run,” Glimmer said.

“Wh— I followed you!” Catra cried.

Bow shrugged. “Sorry, Catra.”

A few moments of yowling and clawing later, Catra sat bound to the thick trunk of one of the trees, hidden by the low brush. Bow tightened the knot as Glimmer nursed a fresh set of scratches on her arm.

“I can’t believe you  _ clawed me _ ,” the princess shouted.

Catra just glared at the girl, ears flat against her head.

“Maybe we should cover her mouth too?” Bow asked.

Catra bared her fangs in response.

“Okay, okay,” Bow raised his arms defensively. “Point taken.” He turned to his companion. “Come on. The sooner we find food, the sooner we can get moving again.”

The two disappeared from sight, and Catra slumped against the bark to sulk. She knew they were just being cautious, but she couldn’t help feeling a little hurt by the way they treated her. She’d felt... well, she’d felt like they might have actually liked her. 

Somewhere down the line, Catra must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, someone was gently shaking her awake.

“Hey,” Bow said. “Wake up.”

Catra blinked her eyes open, and then quickly sat up straight. “I wasn’t sleeping.”

Glimmer raised an eyebrow, standing behind Bow with a basket in each arm. “Sure. Look, we brought you some food.”

Catra felt Bow loosen the ropes enough for her to move her arms, and she slowly pulled the white cloth off of the basket Glimmer set down before her. Inside, she saw what looked like a shiny, oval-shaped piece of cooked... something. She closed her eyes and sniffed the—

...

“Wow,” she heard Bow say. “She’s really digging in.”

“Mmph,” Catra swallowed the piece of delicious meat in her mouth and stared up at the two with wide eyes. “What  _ is _ this?”

“Fish,” Glimmer replied, looking at the feline girl as if she was wearing her uniform backwards. “You’ve never had fish before?”

Catra was too busy stuffing her face to answer.

“What kind of horrible junk do they feed you in the Horde?” Bow mused between bites of bread.

“Hurry up with that,” Glimmer said, taking some food out of the other basket for herself. “It’s just past dawn, and we need to get moving.”

The impromptu feast was interrupted by a loud explosion, somewhere in the distance. The air was soon filled with screams and wails. Glimmer and Bow dropped their food and drew their weapons. Glimmer drew the sword and Bow took out his, well. You know. The pair took up battle stances, staring out through the tree line at something Catra couldn’t see.

“What” she asked. “What’s happening?”

Glimmer shot Bow a look. “We need to help them.”

Bow nodded.

“Hey!” Catra cried. “Let me out! I can help!”

The two ignored her, dashing out of the trees to go join the fight. Catra strained against her bonds. Thankfully, Bow hadn’t tightened the knots back up before leaving, so she was able to wiggle her claws around enough to slice through the ropes. As soon as she got herself free, Catra ran for Thaymor and took in the destruction.

The little hamlet had been overrun by the Horde. Tanks and soldiers swarmed the open area, firing on the civilians as they ran for safety. Catra scanned the chaos for her friends, but she couldn’t see anything through the smoke. Then, her ears pricked up as she caught the distinctive sound of Glimmer’s voice.

“Bow!”

Catra turned toward the noise and sprinted, alternating between all fours and hind limbs as she dodged around the Horde forces. They seemed reluctant to shoot her—likely because she still wore their uniform. She burst from the smoke into an open area, and she saw a bruised Glimmer facing down a Horde tank alone. Behind her, Bow lay on the ground. Catra bolted for her, but couldn’t get there in time to stop the cannon from blasting Glimmer, so that she dropped the Sword of Protection and went tumbling across the open field.

Catra dove, rolled, and snatched up the sword. She came to a stop standing between the Horde forces and the two rebels. As she hefted the sword, suddenly realizing what she was doing, the tank hatch opened, and a familiar face emerged.

“Catra?”

Catra almost dropped the sword. “Adora?”

The blonde vaulted out of the vehicle and jumped down to the ground. She ran forward and pulled Catra into a tight hug. Catra squirmed, but she couldn’t suppress a smile.

“Hey, Adora.”

“Catra, what are you doing here?” Adora asked, stepping back and putting a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “What are you holding?”

Catra tucked the sword behind her back. “Nothing. What— what’s going on? Why are you attacking these people?”

Adora’s lips thinned. “Hordak’s orders. We are to seize and destroy the rebel stronghold of Thaymor.”

Catra took a step back. “Adora, this isn’t a stronghold. These are innocents. The Horde has lied to us our entire lives, and we have a chance to break free.”

Adora’s expression became pained.

“Adora,” Catra looked her friend up and down. “This isn’t you. You can’t hurt these people.”

“It’s my job,” Adora replied, slowly.

Off to one side, a loud whinny sounded. A massive, four-legged creature galloped out of the smoke towards the two girls. Catra stepped back, out of the horse’s way, as it reared up between the pair and kicked its forelegs.

“Adora,” Catra pleaded. “You can come with us. The Horde isn’t worth this. They don’t deserve you.”

“Us?” Adora looked between Catra and the two rebels behind her. “Who are...?” A confused expression crossed her face.

“Come on, Adora,” Catra extended her hand.

Adora looked at the horse, and then her friend’s hand. Her expression went blank. “I have my orders.”

With a bolt of green energy from her blaster, the horse fell. Adora turned the weapon on Catra, who gripped the sword tighter. She looked from the blaster, to the horse, to her friend’s callous stare.

Fury exploded within her, as she raised the sword. “FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!”

This time, Catra embraced the transformation, feeling strength and power fill her body as she tapped into the power of... Princess Tiara Lady. As the light faded and she stood, glowing and looming over her ex-best friend, Catra took in the chaos around her and a serene calmness filled her. This would stop, now.

She strode towards the Horde tanks, and Adora scrambled backwards before her. Catra ignored the blonde, and instead cut into the Horde ranks, felling tanks and troops left and right with deft strikes from her sword. Before long, the once-numerous enemy force lay scattered in disarray. As she stood among the smoking wreckage of the tanks, she watched the Horde retreat. She met Adora’s eyes and saw the cold anger within as the blonde led her forces away. Thaymor was saved, but she had lost something in exchange.

As Catra dropped the transformation, she was ambushed by the worst kind of attack: a group hug.

“You saved us all!” Bow cried, as Catra tried in vain to squirm out of his grip.

Glimmer looked into the feline girl’s eyes and smiled. “I was wrong, Catra. You’re a good person.”

Catra shrank back a little. “I’m... not sure about that.”

“Oh, shush,” Bow said. “You’re coming with us to Bright Moon.”

“But not as a prisoner,” Glimmer chimed in. “As a friend.”

Catra looked back and forth at the two rebels. She didn’t know exactly how she felt about the way they were looking at her... but they had showed her something no one else had before. They believed in her.

“Okay, okay,” Catra relented. “Let’s go.”

“WOOHOO!”

The Beginning.


End file.
